Johannesburg/Harare  - State media and party loyalists in Zimbabwe praised President Robert Mugabe as he turned 85 on Saturday, with a lavish party and banquet planned for next week.

Zimbabwe's defence ministry paid for an advertisement eulogizing Mugabe - who has been ostracized by the international community - saying: "Like a mighty crocodile, you have remained resilient, focused and resolute against all the odds ... "

The state-owned daily The Herald said: "We should never forget that 50 of the 85 years, comrade Mugabe has been in the trenches slaving so that you and I could live a life of dignity."

Johannesburg/Harare - Africa's oldest leader, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe turned 85 on Saturday, with a lavish party to follow on February 28.

At a fund-raising event organized by his Zanu-PF party earlier this month, pledges of 110,000 US dollars and several head of cattle, goats and pigs were secured towards the party, despite around half the population not being able to adequately feed itself.

Speaking on national radio earlier this week, Absolom Sikhosana, Zanu PF's youth leader, admitted raising funds for this year celebrations have been more difficult.

Johannesburg/Harare - More than 100,000 US dollars is expected to be spent on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe's 85th birthday party next week - while more than half his country's population lives in dire poverty.

Africa's oldest leader turns 85 this Saturday, with a lavish party to follow on February 28.

Earlier this month a fund raising event was organized by Mugabe's Zanu PF's youth wing and pledges of 110,000 US dollars were made for the birthday party.

Harare (Zimbabwe), Feb. 20 : BBC investigators have accused Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe of hoarding long lost Doctor Who tapes.

They believe that the tapes may never be recovered because Mugabe hates the UK.

Tyrant Mugabe has banned the Beeb from setting foot in his country, and diplomatic relations are also extremely tense. This means researchers are unable to get into the nation's TV vaults.

The BBC destroyed early episodes of the sci-fi series in the late Sixties and Seventies to make room in its film library for new programmes.

Hong Kong  - China Tuesday defended the right of Robert Mugabe to own a Hong Kong home after the Zimbabwean leader reportedly paid 5 million US dollars for a villa in the former British colony.

"Hong Kong is a free port, and even Falun Gong practitioners can buy a property there, am I right?" a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing told Tuesday's South China Morning Post.